Pussy Riot isn't a band.
The group is both less than that - with only one musician among them - and much more.
The new book from Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen explores the roots of Pussy Riot's founders, their development as activists and the ways that their 2012 "punk prayer" in a Moscow cathedral caused drastic changes both in their own lives and in the country they call home.
The three women sent to prison over the incident were Nadezhda "Nadia" Tolokonnikova, the group's frontwoman and unofficial representative in the media; Yekaterina "Kat" Samutsevich, who negotiated a shorter prison sentence due to being kicked out of the performance by cathedral security before it began; and Maria Alyokhina, who spent much of her time in prison studying law books and obstinately, eloquently presented the group's case in a court system riddled with corruption.
The evolution of Pussy Riot's members - Nadia in particular - is incredibly engrossing.
Gessen follows them from their messy and at times incoherent protests of earlier years to the feminist rebellion of Pussy Riot and ultimately a well-articulated argument for prisoners' rights in Russia.
While Nadia's earlier works of protest included demonstrations that seemed meant to spark controversy, but not discussion - for example, throwing live cats over the counter at a McDonald's restaurant and performing sexual acts in public - her sense of belonging in Pussy Riot crystalized her passion for human rights and gave her work a much-needed clarity.
Gessen doesn't shy away from criticizing Nadia's actions over the years and analyzes the implications of some of her more outlandish protests, particularly one in which she and other women forcibly kissed police officers without their consent.
The women of Pussy Riot are known for the colorful neon dresses, tights and balaclavas (ski masks) they don during performances, which are held in prominent public places. Gessen explains that the outfits were carefully chosen to present an image both of anonymity and intention.
Even before spectators knew who the members of Pussy Riot were, they knew how to identify a Pussy Riot performance.
Perhaps because they have "riot" in their name, or maybe because of the way they aggressively kick, punch, and windmill their bodies throughout their performances, the group has become known as a "punk band."
But while the group's rants are set to music (often punk tunes), they are not a band in any traditional sense of the word. Music is not even secondary; it's background noise.
Pussy Riot is a protest group, and their lyrics - which they spit out with venom - reflect that. Gessen doesn't explore the way the songs are written (or whether there is a primary songwriter), but she does deconstruct the lyrics and explain their relevance to Russian society and politics.
Her analysis connects Pussy Riot's lyrics to the backgrounds of its more prominent members and their upbringings, education and personalities in a way that really brings their songs to life.
The book ends with the group's struggles in prison, which ultimately lead to Nadia and Maria in particular becoming strong advocates for prisoners' rights in Russia.
While the book's story ends before Nadia and Maria's release from prison, and before the most recent protests during the Olympics, Gessen manages to cover a lot of ground and provide insight into what has become a powerful international political movement.